Eating enough food for your physical needs is not normally a problem. You can get your 2000 calories, bit of protein and all the vitamins you require for $3/day

Eating enough food for your physical needs is not normally a problem. You can get your 2000 calories, bit of protein and all the vitamins you require for $3/day anywhere in the USA and there aren't many startup founders who literally starve. Mental health and happiness is a real issue, though. I'd be miserable eating the bland meal every day and that does cause some people to underperform their potential. On the other hand, it motivates other people to work harder to escape their situation.